This past week has been a testing time for Ba Rugby. Last weekend, the Island Pharmacy Ba Women’s side fell in the Ranadi Cup quarter-finals to a last-gasp try from Cakadrove at Subrail Park in Labasa.
“We are very proud of the girls,” Ba Women’s manager Malakai Vukinavanua said after hopes of progressing were crushed by a Cakaudrove try after full-time was up to give the hosts a 24-23 win.
“I have seen so much improvement in this in the last six months.
“Last year, we only had the one women’s team in Ba, but now there’s six to eight clubs as more players come forward wishing to lace up their rugby boots.”
“We are also very proud of the three players – Sereana Naweni, Eleni Bilo and Salanieta Davuto – who were invited to train with the HPU elite squad.”
For the first time ever, Ba will have a women’s club rugby competition in 2024 with registration now open and entry set at $100.
Vinod Patel Ba, meanwhile, suffered a body blow in Navua, going down in controversial circumstances 27-29 to Namosi in the Skipper Cup.
They need a good result against Naitasiri today at Ratu Cakobau Park to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals in their first season in the tournament.
At a muddy Thomson Park, a bizarre incident in the sixth minute denied Ba a clear three points as the assistant referees inexplicably forgot to raise their flags.
“Those three points could have changed the result as we only lost by two points,” Pastor Gaby Kautoga sighed. “We don’t really understand it.”
Ba wrote to the Fiji Rugby Union within the statutory six hours of the game ending to request a review of the video.
By Thursday afternoon, there had still been no response from the FRU, so the provincial union started sharing the video clip with others.
Once the evidence was clear (you can watch the video on the 2023 Ba Rugby Union Facebook page), Ba suggested that replaying the match would be a fair way forward. But FRU responded that a replay was impractical and didn’t fit with World Rugby protocol.
One supporter noted “this shows that no matter how hard you train and prepare, everything can be in the hands of the referee on game day.”
Kautoga asked, “What can we do?”
And no one seemed to have an adequate answer.
Ba’s first season in the Skipper Cup had begun on a controversial note on the opening afternoon when the FRU sent a one-line email to BRU indicating that if Ba played in their BLK uniforms they could forfeit the game against Suva.
The alternative was the Qaqa uniforms the FRU had given to the team three days earlier, but not only were these in a design BRU had never seen before and with the wrong union logo, but 18 of the 23 jerseys and several of the shorts were too small for the players.
“This was a matter of player welfare,” Kautoga said. “The Match Commissioner agreed that we could wear the BLK uniforms if we taped over the logos. But at half-time, he got a call from FRU to stop the game.”
No one had consulted with BRU on these Qaqa uniforms, no one asked for sizes. Indeed, BRU weren’t even aware that Qaqa were making them.
On the following Monday, BRU met with tournament sponsors Jack’s, who kindly agreed to make larger jerseys and shorts for the subsequent matches.
“So, here we are,” Kautoga stated without emotion. “We have learnt a lot in this opening season about administration and officiating. We just have to put these setbacks behind us and continue moving forward.”
“The boys have learned a lot too – especially concerning discipline, on and off the field. Self-control is very important.”
On a positive note, the Fiji Pine Ba Juniors beat Namosi U20s 22-15 last week, a result that gives them a chance of finishing in the top four which would secure a more favourable fixture in the quarter-finals.
Ba Club Rugby starts soon
The Ba Club Rugby competition kicks off in May with the union expecting around 30 men’s and eight women’s teams to enter.
The Solikana Rugby Club from high up on the Nadrau Plateau above Savatu were the first club to register and pay their full fees of $300. BRU expects two more clubs from Savatu to join and up to five clubs from the highlands of Magodro.
Note to other clubs: Only the $75 deposit is payable by the deadline of Monday 29 April.
Clubs wishing to play in the Ba Club Rugby Competition can download the registration form from the official Facebook page ‘2023 Ba Rugby Union’ – or email barugbyunion23@gmail.com.
